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Arctostaphylos

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Arctostaphylos
Whiteleaf manzanita (Arctostaphylos viscida)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Ericaceae
Subfamily: Arbutoideae
Genus: Arctostaphylos
Adanson
Type species
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Species

About 60, see text.

Arctostaphylos (/ˌɑːrktˈstæfɪləs, -lɒs/;[1][2] from ἄρκτος árktos "bear" and σταφυλή staphulḗ "bunch of grapes") is a genus of plants comprising the manzanitas (/ˌmænzəˈntəz/[3][4]) and bearberries. There are about 60 species of Arctostaphylos, ranging from ground-hugging arctic, coastal, and mountain shrub to small trees up to 6 m (20 ft) tall. Most are evergreen (one species deciduous), with small oval leaves 1–7 cm (0.4–3 in) long, arranged spirally on the stems. The flowers are bell-shaped, white or pale pink, and borne in small clusters of 2–20 together; flowering is in the spring. The fruit are small berries, ripening in the summer or autumn. The berries of some species are edible.

Arctostaphylos species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Coleophora arctostaphyli (which feeds exclusively on A. uva-ursi) and Coleophora glaucella.

Distribution

Pinemat manzanita (A. nevadensis) occurs from Washington to California.
Common bearberry with flowers (A. uva-ursi)

Manzanitas, the bulk of Arctostaphylos species, are present in the chaparral biome of western North America, where they occur from southern British Columbia in Canada, Washington to California and New Mexico in the United States, and throughout much of northern and central Mexico.

One species, however, A. uva-ursi (common bearberry), is adapted to arctic and subarctic climates and has a circumpolar distribution in northern North America, Asia and Europe.

An unusual association of manzanita occurs on Hood Mountain, in Sonoma County, California, where stands of pygmy forest dominated by Mendocino cypress are found.

Fossil record

One fossil fruit of †Arctostaphylos globula and several fossil fruits of †Arctostaphylos menzelii have been described from middle Miocene strata of the Fasterholt area near Silkeborg in Central Jutland, Denmark.[5]

Cultivation

Cultivation is generally difficult due to fungal diseases, and often salinity and alkalinity. Overhead watering should be avoided in hot weather. Some cultivars are easier to grow.

Taxonomy

The following species are recognised in the genus Arctostaphylos:[6]

Ranges

  • Subgenus Micrococcus
    • Sect. Micrococcus
Species Common name Range
mendocinoensis Pygmy manzanita
myrtifolia Ione manzanita California (Amador, Calaveras Counties)
nissenana Nissenan manzanita California (coastal and inland ranges north of San Francisco Bay)
nummularia Glossyleaf manzanita California (Mendocino County)
  • Subgenus Arctostaphylos, which has three sections:
    • Sect. Arctostaphylos
Species Common name Range
alpina Alpine bearberry
bakeri Baker's manzanita California (Sonoma County)
densiflora Sonoma manzanita California (Sonoma County)
edmundsii Little Sur manzanita California (Monterey County)
franciscana Franciscan manzanita California (San Francisco County)
gabrielensis San Gabriel manzanita California (Los Angeles County)
glauca Bigberry manzanita California and Baja California
hispidula Gasquet manzanita Coastal mountain ranges of southern Oregon and northern California
hookeri Hooker's manzanita California
insularis Island manzanita California (Santa Cruz Island)
klamathensis Klamath manzanita California (Klamath Mountains)
manzanita Common manzanita, whiteleaf manzanita California (Coast Ranges and Sierra Nevada foothills)
mewukka Indian manzanita California (Sierra Nevada)
nevadensis Pinemat manzanita California
parryana Parry manzanita California (southern)
patula Greenleaf manzanita Western North America
pumila Sandmat manzanita California (Monterey County)
pungens Pointleaf manzanita Southwestern United States and to northern and central Mexico
rudis Shagbark manzanita California (southern central coast)
stanfordiana Stanford's manzanita California (Outer North Coast Ranges north of the San Francisco Bay Area)
uva-ursi Bearberry Europe, Asia, North America
viscida Sticky manzanita, whiteleaf manzanita California and Oregon
    • Sect. Foliobracteata
Species Common name Range
andersonii Santa Cruz manzanita Santa Cruz mountains (CA)
auriculata Mount Diablo manzanita Mount Diablo (CA)
canescens Hoary manzanita Coastal ranges of SW OR and N CA
catalinae Santa Catalina Island manzanita Santa Catalina Island (CA)
columbiana Hairy manzanita West coast from N. CA to S. BC
confertiflora Santa Rosa Island manzanita Santa Rosa Island (CA)
cruzensis La Cruz manzanita Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties (CA)
glandulosa Eastwood manzanita Coastal slops from OR, CA, Baja California
glutinosa Schreiber's manzanita Santa Cruz County (CA)
hooveri Hoover's manzanita Santa Lucia Mountains (CA)
imbricata San Bruno Mountain manzanita San Bruno Mountain (CA)
luciana Santa Lucia manzanita southern Santa Lucia Mountains (CA)
malloryi Mallory's manzanita Inner North Coast Ranges west and northwest of the Sacramento Valley (CA)
montaraensis Montara manzanita San Bruno Mountain and Montara Mountain (CA)
montereyensis Monterey manzanita Monterey County (CA)
morroensis Morro manzanita Morro Bay (CA)
nortensis Del Norte manzanita Del Norte County (CA), Curry County (OR), Josephine County (OR)
obispoensis Serpentine manzanita Southern Santa Lucia Mountains (CA)
osoensis Oso manzanita Los Osos Valley (San Luis Obispo, CA)
otayensis Otay manzanita San Diego County (CA)
pajaroensis Pajaro manzanita Monterey County, Santa Cruz County, San Benito County (CA)
pallida Pallid manzanita
pechoensis Pecho manzanita
pilosula La Panzo manzanita
purissima La Purissima manzanita
refugioensis Refugio manzanita
regismontana Kings Mountain manzanita
silvicola Bonny Doon manzanita
tomentosa Woolyleaf manzanita
virgata Bolinas manzanita
viridissima Whitehair manzanita
wellsii Wells' manzanita
    • Sect. Pictobracteata
Species Common name Range
pringlei Pringle manzanita
  • Unassigned
Species Common name Range
rainbowensis Rainbow manzanita
gabilanensis Gabilan manzanita
ohloneana Ohlone manzanita

See also the closely related genus Comarostaphylis, previously often included in Arctostaphylos.

References

  1. ^ "Arctostaphylos". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
  2. ^ Sunset Western Garden Book, 1995:606–607
  3. ^ "manzanita". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
  4. ^ "manzanita". Lexico UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on 2020-03-22.
  5. ^ Friis, Else Marie (1985). "Angiosperm fruits and seeds from the Middle Miocene of Jutland (Denmark)" (PDF). Det Kongelige Danske Videnskaberne Selskab, Biologiske Skrifter. 24 (3): 1–165.
  6. ^ "Arctostaphylos Adans. | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 2022-04-29.

Further reading